Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Getting a new Birth Certificate.

I can't find my birth certificate and need it to renew my passport. Getting a replacement should be a simple thing to do, right?

It was actually a very simple thing to do when I lived in South Korea. All I had to do was fill out the form I got online, photo copy my driver's license, and fax it to the government office in Quebec. Easy Peasy. So easy one would think that there would be no problems actually getting it done in Canada. You would be wrong.

I printed off the form from the L'etat Civil website but couldn't find a fax number. So, I called their offices to be told that you can't fax the form in. All you can do is mail it or fill it out online. Ok, filling it out online is easier than faxing it.

Nope. Since I don't actually live in Quebec or have a tax form receipt for the Province I can't actually register to send in the form via email.

So, 2-3 weeks ago, I mailed the form in. Yesterday I got a letter from the department and it didn't contain my birth certificate. It turns out the form I printed from their site was out of date. I have to fill out a new one, and mail it in, in order to get my birth certificate.

What is the difference in forms? The cost. The price has gone UP from $15 to $38 for a birth certificate. Ah the government, finding new ways to fuck around with you and take your money.

Now I have gotten everything together and have to send it in again. Good thing I don't actually need my passport in the near future. God damn I hate dealing with the government.

1 comment:

  1. I am still not sure whether to laugh or fume over the fact it was easier to get a copy of my birth certificate when I was in Korea than when in Canada.

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